Tylenol Ineffective for Low-Back Pain

People use acetaminophen (also known as paracetamol) for all kinds of pain. While some are convinced that it works for them, a recent study demonstrated that this is not the case for low-back pain. In a double-blind, randomized controlled trial, researchers compared a placebo to prarcetamol to see if it made a difference in low-back pain. They concluded that “our findings suggest that regular or as-needed dosing with paracetamol (acetaminophen) does not affect recovery time compared with placebo in low-back pain, and question the universal endorsement of paracetamol (acetaminophen) in this patient group.”

Paracetamol/Acetaminophen is sold by the brand names: Tylenol, Panadol, Mapap, Ofirmev, Mejoralito, Feverall, Apap, Acephen, Xl-dol, Nortemp, Aypanal, Aphen, Bf-paradac, Ringl, Tempra. Given the potential for side effects, using drugs that are ineffective seems like an obvious unhealthy choice.